itOpened Guides · Marion Reservoir
How to actually get a site at Cottonwood Point — the verified facts, the release reality, and the cancellation route in.
Watch it with itOpened
Proof, from our own scanners: 673 confirmed openings across 34 campgrounds since Oct 29, 2026 — each one re-verified before logging. See the live cancellation index.
Watch Cottonwood PointFree to start. We never book, hold, or resell — you book it yourself, in your own account, at the normal price. Fees pay for monitoring; openings are first-come and cannot be guaranteed.
Overview Cottonwood Point is a spacious and shady campground located on the shores of Marion Reservoir. This Kansas getaway draws in thousands of visitors annually to enjoy the pristine lake shoreline and surrounding canopy of forest. Recreation Popular activities include camping, boating, fishing and hunting. Numerous hiking and biking trails snake through the forest around the lake, and the The Willow Walk Nature Trail is especially popular for wildlife enthusiasts. Campers are likely to spot white-tailed deer, pelicans, raccoons and various other waterfowl. Anglers will find an abundance of channel catfish, walleye, white bass and wipers, and a boat ramp is provided at the campground for convenient access to the lake.
| Total sites | 171 |
|---|---|
| Site types | Standard, Group, Picnic area |
| Site mix (directory count) | Standard 165 · Group 4 |
| Area | Marion Reservoir |
| Managed by | US Army Corps of Engineers |
| Nearest community | MARION, KS |
| Activities | Accessible Swimming, Boating, Camping, Fishing, Hiking, Swimming, Water Access |
| Directory phone | 620-382-2101 |
| Official listing | Recreation.gov campground page |
| Book through | Recreation.gov |
Cottonwood Point is reserved through Recreation.gov, on the release pattern stated in its official listing. In demand, reservable sites are claimed within minutes of each release — which is why the campground reads as sold out for most of the year, and why the realistic route in is rarely the release itself.
Sites booked months ahead get cancelled as trips fall through, and each cancellation returns its nights to the official calendar instantly — first-come, no waitlist, no announcement. itOpened scans the Recreation.gov calendar for Cottonwood Point around the clock; when a site matching your dates and vehicle opens, you get a text with a direct link, and you book it yourself, in your own account, at the normal price. We never book, hold, or resell. The mechanics are the same ones documented in how campsite cancellations actually work.
Watch more than one calendar. These nearby or same-area campgrounds take the same trip — and their cancellations are independent chances:
| Hillsboro Cove | 53 sites · same area |
|---|---|
| French Creek | 20 sites · same area |
| Marion Cove | 17 sites · same area |
| Canning Creek | 45 sites · nearby alternative |
| Santa Fe Trail | 33 sites · nearby alternative |
| Neosho Park | 8 sites · nearby alternative |
Full directory facts and sibling campgrounds: Cottonwood Point campground page · Marion Reservoir park page.
Watch it with itOpened
Proof, from our own scanners: 673 confirmed openings across 34 campgrounds since Oct 29, 2026 — each one re-verified before logging. See the live cancellation index.
Watch Cottonwood PointFree to start. We never book, hold, or resell — you book it yourself, in your own account, at the normal price. Fees pay for monitoring; openings are first-come and cannot be guaranteed.
Every figure in this article traces to one of the sources above. If a number isn't sourced, we don't print it.
Last updated 2026-10-30.